W. P. Weber and S. Q. Zhou in previous applications have claimed poly(unsaturated carbosilane) polymers and copolymers containing silyl hydride reactive groups in the polymer chain (Ser. No. 636,639 filed Dec. 29, 1990 now allowed and its continuation-in-part, Ser. No. 758,638). Also disclosed in those applications were prior art on the preparation of poly(1,1 dimethyl-1-silapent-3-ene) and poly(1,1-diphenyl-1-silapent-3-ene) by ring opening metathesis polymerization or anionic polymerization. The Weber and Zhou applications claim novel unsaturated carbosilane polymers and copolymers formed by anionic or metathesis polymerization which proceeds surprisingly in the presence of silylhydride in the monomer. Those skilled in the art would expect the initiating anion to displace hydride from silicon and would thus prevent anionic polymerization. The ring opening metathesis polymerization was surprising because the silylhydride does not reduce the tungsten catalyst and the polymerization proceeds to high molecular weight.
In Isvestya Akademia Nauk no. 8, 1448-1453, (1965), Nametkin et al disclose the preparation of insoluble crosslinked saturated silahydrocarbon polymers with pendant vinyl groups.